Beer Cheese Dip
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It only takes 10 minutes to make this delicious, creamy Beer Cheese Dip for a quick and easy appetizer or snack! It’s a tasty addition to an Oktoberfest charcuterie board, the perfect dip for warm pretzels, or use it as a sauce to make Irish Nachos. This beer cheese recipe is so easy to make and incredibly flavorful!
Table of contents
Whenever I’m at a pub or brewery with pretzels and beer cheese dip on the menu, I always order it! You really can’t go wrong with warm, salty pretzels, dipped into a creamy cheesy dip. And after I realized how easy it was to make beer cheese dip at home, I’ve been making this recipe on repeat!
It’s so easy to make in 10 minutes and perfect for parties, an afternoon snack, or a delicious little goodie to graze on during game day. You can make it in advance and keep it warm in a small Crock Pot, so you can serve it for hours at a party.
The flavor of the dip is mostly cheesy goodness, with a hint of hops from the beer, and a dash of smokiness from smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce. It truly is a great combination of flavors. And it’s a recipe that I know you’ll want to make over and over again!
Ingredients
I’ve included notes and descriptions below for each ingredient in this recipe. For the exact ingredient measurements, jump to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – I always recommend sharp, over mild or medium cheddar cheese. The flavor is rich and robust, and it really shines through in the cheese dip. For this recipe, you’ll want to freshly grate a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking additives that means it won’t melt as well into the dip.
- Swiss cheese (or gruyere cheese) – Gruyere is a type of swiss cheese that is typically aged longer than a traditional swiss. Both cheeses have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor, that pairs perfectly with the rich, bold cheddar cheese. You’ll also want to freshly grate a block of swiss cheese for this recipe, so that it melts smoothly in the dip.
- Unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter, so that I can determine how much salt I want to add to the recipe. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt in this recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.
- All-purpose flour – used to make a roux, to thicken the cheese dip. You can also make it without flour, and use cornstarch instead. You will only need half of the amount of cornstarch, because cornstarch has more thickening power than flour. For this recipe you’ll need 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to replace the 1/4 cup flour.
- Heavy cream – I’ve made this recipe with half-and-half in the past, and it was too runny for my taste. If you like a thinner dip, you can use half-and-half. But I only use heavy cream to make a thick, creamy dip!
- Beer – I recommend a lager, pale ale, or wheat beer for this recipe. But feel free to use the beer of your choice. The alcohol will cook off during the process of heating the dip on the stove, but if you prefer, you can use nonalcoholic beer to make the dip.
- Worcestershire sauce – this amazing condiment adds so much flavor to this recipe. It’s salty, tangy, and adds a wonderful umami flavor to the dip. If you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce in the kitchen, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Dijon mustard – the acidity and tanginess of the mustard helps balance out the richness of the cheese dip. It’s a secret ingredient that really adds an extra layer of flavor to the dip!
- Salt – to season the dip.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
- Smoked paprika – this ingredient adds just a slightly smoky flavor to the dip. If you’re not a fan of smoky flavors, you can use traditional paprika instead.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos above to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make a roux. Melt butter in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add flour to the pan and whisk to combine the ingredients to form a roux.
- Slowly pour heavy cream into the pan, and whisk to combine it with the roux.
- Season the creamy sauce with beer, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine everything, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- Add the cheese. Turn the heat on the stove to low and add freshly grated cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheese is fully melted and the dip is smooth and creamy. Serve the dip immediately, or transfer it to a small Crock Pot set to warm for up to 8 hours.
What to serve with it
Pretzels and beer cheese dip are like a match made it bar food heaven! You can heat up frozen pretzels, or soft pretzel bites, in the oven while preparing the beer cheese dip on the stove. You can also make homemade soft pretzels before preparing the beer cheese dip.
If you’re feeling a little more ambitious and want to pair the beer cheese dip with more than just pretzels, make an Oktoberfest charcuterie board (pictured above). It features different types of pretzels, mustards, cheeses and grilled bratwurst. This board is a hit in the fall, but honestly, it’s delicious year-round, paired with German-style beers!
This recipe can also be used as a beer cheese sauce. Pour it over waffle fries, then top them with crispy bacon to make loaded waffle fries, like Applebee’s. You can also pour it over potato chips to make Irish Nachos.
It’s also a great dip for raw veggies, like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, or bell peppers. Or you can pour it over grilled bratwurst in a pretzel bun for a seriously delicious meal! The options really are endless. And I promise, you’ll want to find every way you can to incorporate this beer cheese dip into recipes for appetizers, snacks and meals!
Recipe tips
- Never leave the cheese dip unattended on the stove. If you don’t stir the dip constantly while it’s on the stove, it can burn to the bottom. Make sure you also remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as the cheese is fully melted into the dip.
- If you want to keep the beer cheese dip warm for serving, transfer it to a slow cooker set to warm. The cheese dip can stay in a Crock Pot on warm for up to 8 hours without burning, but while staying warm for guests at a party.
- Always shred your own cheese! For the smoothest, creamiest texture of the dip, shred your own cheese at home using a box grater, hand grater or KitchenAid grater attachment. Pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents, which can leave a powdery taste in your cheese dip. And they don’t melt as well as freshly grated cheese.
- If you want to add spice to this beer cheese dip recipe, add 2-3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce, or add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the smoked paprika.
How to store and reheat
To store: place any leftover beer cheese dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
To reheat on the stove: transfer the cheese dip to a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Heat the dip for 5-10 minutes, stirring until the cheese dip is hot.
To reheat in the microwave: transfer the cheese dip to a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir, then microwave for an additional 30-60 seconds, or until warm.
To freeze: I do not recommend freezing this cheese dip. The consistency of the dip will not remain the same after you freeze and reheat it.
More cheesy recipes
If you love easy, cheesy recipes as much as I do, you have to check out these other blog favorites!
Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup swiss cheese, or gruyere cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup beer, pale ale or wheat
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Grate the cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese, then set them aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to form a roux.
- Once combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk to combine.
- Add the beer, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer then turn the heat on the stove to low. Add the cheddar and Swiss cheese to the pan. Stir continuously until the cheese is fully melted and the dip is smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately, or transfer to a slow cooker set to warm for up to 8 hours to serve the dip at a party.
Notes
- Serve the dip with warm pretzels, soft pretzel bites, tortilla chips, or raw veggies for dipping.
- If you want to add spice to this beer cheese dip recipe, add 2-3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce, or add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the smoked paprika.
- Store any leftover beer cheese dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Reheat the cheese dip in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring until the cheese dip is hot.
Nutrition Facts
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